Publications

This SME Competitiveness Outlook assesses the impact of conflict and fragility on business performance. It unveils a Fragility Exposure Index, and shows that fragility, as experienced by firms, can be reduced by 25% if they take actions to reinforce competitiveness. These include engaging with...

Good Practices in the Global Apparel Industry provides valuable insight on ways for small and medium-sized enterprises to move up the value chain and away from low-value contract manufacturing.

International business investors can embed sustainability in each step of their operations. This guide describes the social, environmental and economic practices that international firms must understand when entering a new market.

The Textile and Clothing Sector in Asian Graduating Least Developed Countries: Challenges and Ways Forward

Pharmaceuticals, baby food, cotton clothing and cars are the four focus value chains of this report. 

This is a national companion guide to the publication The Business Guide for Sustainability in Foreign Investments.

More than a third of Tanzanian companies have fully or partially resolved trade obstacles in the last six years. Government-led initiatives and regulatory reforms have helped ease exporters’ difficulties.

Rwandan exporters face onerous standards imposed by private clients in addition to government requirements, an ITC survey reveals. Fair Trade certificates demanded by clients in the European Union, especially for coffee and tea, are bringing costs and delays that seriously hinder Rwandan exporters,...

Many trade obstacles can be dealt with at home, this report finds, regarding business concerns about non-tariff measures in Malawi.   This ITC survey of exporters and importers in Malawi reveals that their main challenges to access markets abroad are twofold in relation to non-tariff...

Nepal could lose 4.3% of exports because of tariff changes when it graduates from least developed country status in 2026. The removal of preferential tariffs will especially affect the apparel, synthetic textile fabric and carpet sectors. Losses will mostly occur in exports to China, the European...

Cotton production is both a contributor to and a ‘victim’ of climate change. Agricultural production, processing, trade and consumption contribute up to 30% of the world’s emissions when forest clearance is included in the calculation. Cotton production contributes to between 0.3% and 1% of...

Mauritian exporters claim to be less affected by trade barriers than many other countries that have participated in the ITC business surveys on non-tariff measures. Among the 400 Mauritian firms surveyed, 27% of exporters were adversely affected by non-tariff measures; 36% of importing firms...